Bahrain shuts down illegal nurseries

Manama, June 22, 2012

Bahrain authorities have shut down four illegal nursery schools for operating without legal permits and have warned seven other for operating in unlicensed buildings.

The illegal nurseries include Al Rayaheen, Al Nojoom, Aqra and a Hamad Town branch of Al Jenan Nursery, who have been referred to the Public Prosecution for violating the law.

It came following an urgent report by the ministry, which found that several facilities had breached law 25 of 1998, which relates to educational establishments and special training institutes.

Seven others were warned by the Education Ministry for illegally moving premises or operating in unlicensed buildings and were given a grace period to rectify the violations.

Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi said Al Rayaheen had also committed other violations including using its building for tutorials in the evening. A case in this regard has also been filed at the Public Prosecution.

"We are revising all permits and operations of nurseries to ensure there are no violations, which comes in line with our annual review," Dr Al Nuaimi said in a statement yesterday.

"Those four nurseries have been violating the law by operating without a licence and had to be closed and their owners have been referred to the Public Prosecution for immediate legal action.

"One nursery has been referred for two offences, with the second being very severe as the building is being used as an institute to give tutorials in the evenings."

They allegedly flouted the law by operating in unlicensed buildings or moving to other buildings without permission.

"For any nursery to operate within a building it has to get permits from those concerned and in this case the seven nurseries did not do so," added Dr Al Nuaimi.

"Some have moved to new buildings without taking permission from the directorate concerned in the ministry. The seven have been warned to correct their violations before they resume their classes after the summer holiday or else they will face consequences."

"If the seven continue with their violations without doing something to correct them then immediate legal action will be taken against them in line with the law and rules and regulations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service